How Professional FIFA 18 Players Succeed in Weekend League

FUT Champions and success, something that is a mean feat for most casual FIFA players but a walk in the park for the seasoned professionals and for Top 100 regulars. Many of us dedicate our Weekends to the 40-game-a-weekend-mode to play for lucrative rewards and with the aim of hitting the high ranks.

For the casual, the main objective is to ensure qualification for the Weekend Leagues next installment and building up the bank balance. However, for the pro’s it’s all about hitting the global Top 100 and putting themselves in contention for prestigious FIFA tournaments with large cash prizes on offer.

Consistency is something of a task for most, however, it’s a breeze for the pros and we wanted to find out how they manage to succeed week in week out. The Shotcaller spoke to a range of top-level players to find out just what is the key to succeeding in the Weekend League?

Ryan “Hashtag Ryan” Pessoa, a player who is no stranger to going unbeaten in the Weekend League and finishing in the Top 100, had the following to say:

“For me, the key to succeeding in the Weekend League is to manage your games correctly and not to rush through. I personally play 4 to 5 games at a time and then take a break to do something else. When I come back it’s important to not go straight into a Weekend League game so I warm up with a friend or in divisions to get back in the rhythm.”

Hashtag Ryan is no newcomer to the Weekend League and often finds himself with a perfect 40-0 finish

“It’s also important to take a break when you lose, because the loss will be on your mind going into the next game and it will affect you severely,” said Hashtag Ryan.

Next up, we spoke to Craftyyy95, who finished 4th in the World on Xbox in October and is currently in 3rd place for the month of November, which would book him a spot at the FUT Champions Cup in January.

Craftyyy95 advised players to keep their cool. “I personally think, the mindset is super important. For example, if you take a loss just take a break for a while, don’t tilt yourself and get mad. Then you need to think you’re still in a good position and you can finish strongly.”

We also asked Craftyyy95 what his formation of choice is and why and how he keeps leads, “In my opinion, 4-2-3-1 narrow is the best formation, simply because scoring is the easy part in this game, so having more players back helps massively.”

“Personally, I like to time waste the last 10 minutes by switching it between fullbacks a lot, it frustrates my opponent and may give me a chance to score an extra goal” said Craftyyy95.

A common bit of advice from many higher level players seems to be taking a break after a loss. Possibly due to the negative psychological factors and when such big stakes are on the line, you need to be one hundred percent focused.

Jamie “Jamboo” Rigden, a professional FIFA player for West Ham United, also stands by coping with the mental challenges.

“The key is concentration and spacing out your games correctly, playing twenty or so games in one session gives you a bigger chance of losing focus and therefore making decisions you wouldn’t normally make. It’s as much of a mental game as it is having the ability to perform.”

Jamboo is an official FIFA player for the Premier League club WestHam United. Although his team is struggling right now, Jamboo is putting up performances on the daily.

Fully focusing on 40 games seems to be a tough task for many, regardless of level.

Thomas “xL Painter” Painter, a player who burst onto the pro circuit last year qualifying for both the European Season 1 and 3 Finals had this to say: “For me, keeping composed when you feel like things aren’t going your way is a huge thing.”

We also asked Painter what his formation of choice is and why and how he keeps leads, “I like to use 4-2-3-1 narrow simply because it’s still good during bad gameplay.”

“If I have the lead I tend to walk with the ball until my opponent charges out and an opportunity arises,” said Painter.

Some frequent advice that pro’s post on social media is the splitting of games. A lot of pros like to opt for 10 games on a Friday, 10 games on a Saturday and 20 games on a Sunday. A structured approach is beneficial to remaining focused and performing well. With the games being split up it seems to be an easier task to complete all 40 games.